Star Fox: Alliance
by Kit Canary
Summary: Chapter 3. Short Chapter. Kind of lame. Character development. The three get reacquainted and make their way for Corneria. A last minute distress call sends them whirling into battle.
1. Prologue

Star Fox: Alliance  
  
The Lylat System, known for it's huge production of fuel, precious stones, and machines, has become one of the most powerful systems in the galaxy. Thanks mostly to General Pepper, leader of the Cornerian Army. He led the Cornerian army against the evil scientist, Andross, in the infamous Lylat Wars. After the Lylat Wars, Lylat was rocketed into corporate bliss when a rare element was found deep within the ground of the poisonous planet, Venom.  
Though very dangerous, the new element proved to be an excellent fuel for powering the many machines in the universe today. Minimal pollution and more than 50 times as efficient as ordinary jet fuel, "Vyros" soon become the major cash crop of the Lylat System. Though General Pepper could have used Vyros for much more "beneficial" reasons, he did not, and maintained balance throughout the galaxy.  
But all good things must come to an end. Pepper soon died a gruesome but mysterious death that was withheld from the public by the Cornerian Army. The residents of Lylat mourned greatly for their loss of their excellent leader. General Pepper's nephew, Radius Grimclaw took advantage of the weak state the system was in. Using their fear and sadness for the loss of General Pepper, he promised to continue his uncle's legend, and would make Lylat the most powerful system ever. The Lylatians had nowhere else to look to, so they fell to Grimclaw's reign. Promised a powerful system that would rule all others...  
Little did they know such power came with much suffering and pain. The Cornerian Army was relinquished and the legendary Star Fox team that destroyed Andross were exhiled to deserted planets, never to be mentioned again. Grimclaw enslaved many Cornerians and forced them to work in the mines of Venom, producing more and more Vyros to create something darker than Lylat had ever seen before...  
Grimclaw found a way to use Vyros as an enhancement for his own army. He tested on many former Cornerian Army soldiers, filling their vains with the deadly poison, making them bigger, stronger, and worst of all, completely emotionless. They would do Grimclaw's bidding with no questions asked, allowing him to reign terror on whoever he sees fit. With no one to stop him, he became a mortal god among the systems, all feared to stand up to him and his relentless army.  
Though, all hope is not yet lost. A small resistance formed on the planet Katina. Led by an unknown rogue, the resistance attempts to foil the plans of Grimclaw, and return peace to Lylat. They try so hard, but barely seem to get anywhere. Their only chance is to call for help, a plea to a legend, like peasants to the gods. Star Fox must be reunited! 


	2. Finding A Friend

Chapter One: Finding A Friend  
  
The darkness of the city Trillion would give even the toughest space pirate the chills. The never ending rain hammers at the huge skyscrapers and streets. Miscreants wander mindlessly around in the shadows, looking to buy, or sell on the black market of Zoness. No one decent ever comes to Trillion, not after space pirates claimed it as their territory a few years after the Lylat Wars. It's a sespool of scrubby criminals and violent serpents of the underworld.  
  
Just above the city, a single arwing flies over and lands in a starport docking bay. The cock pit hatch opens up and Fox Mcloud climbs out onto the cold steel of the massive building. He examines the area and notices that a group of four jackals had taken an interest in his presence.  
  
Fox Mcloud was former leader of the Star Fox Team. An emotionally torn pilot on a constant search for his lost father, James Mcloud, who was captured by Andross before the Lylat Wars. He was also a strong, courageous, sly fox who led the Star Fox team to destroy Andross in the Lylat Wars and once again when Andross used the spirits of a lost planet to raise himself from the dead. Though small, Fox Mcloud was one tough brute.  
  
The group of jackals moved in towards Fox, who calmly turned to meet them. As they got closer, Fox could smell the dead carcass in their breath, and noticed they were all black with brown spots. Each very unkempt, ugly, and gave off a look of stupidity.  
  
"How can we help you, slick?" The middle jackal, obviously the leader, asked.  
  
"I'm looking for a friend, where's a good place to gain some information about recent in comers?" Fox was very cool about the way he talked, he didn't want to start a fight, yet made sure the jackals didn't want to mess with him. But they were too stupid to take the clue.  
  
"I'll tell you where you can get some information, but it'll cost you your pretty ship." The leader moved in and sniffed Fox. Fox flicked the end of his nose. The jackal jumped back, enraged, he pulled out a blaster. But Fox was too quick. He had already blown two of the bastards brains out and was moving in on the third. A kick to the face delayed the leader and he fell back to the floor. Fox grabbed the third minion around the head and snapped his thin neck. Look of murder haunted Fox's eyes. He finally pinned the leader and aimed his gun at his forehead.  
  
" You were saying?" Fox dug his foot into the pinned jackal.  
  
"Frost! He knows everything that goes on around these parts! He'll probably know!" Fox let up on the skanky jackal. "He owns a bar down at the end of the street. You won't make it out though, those guys dispise Cornerian scum! You're going to fry."  
  
"I'll be sure to watch my back." Fox began to walk away.  
  
"Scum!" The jackal hollered. The room fell silent and Fox was gone.  
  
"One Ragin' Rhino coming up!" The bartender of Frost's bar rushed back and forth behind the counter. No need for much detail. You've seen one bar, you've seen them all. A bunch of filthy drunk pirates inhabited place, and it smelled like rotten fish and vomit. Fox gagged as he walked in. Obviously the pirates weren't drunk enough to not smell when a Cornerian walked in, because the room fell silent, mugs hit the tables and many reached for their blasters.  
  
"What do you want, scum?" The hypocritical remark intrigued Fox.  
  
"I want to speak to Frost." A few chuckles arose at various parts of the bar.  
  
"No one see's Frost without an appointment." A large bull dog stood up in the back of the bar. "Do you have an appointment?" Others stood up behind the bull dog and they made their way towards Fox. Fox rolled his eyes, annoyed at the possibility of another fight.  
  
"It's ok, I think I know why he's here." A huge blue rhino stepped up to Fox from the side. He was well built, and projected an image of success, Fox couldn't help but respect him.  
  
"You Frost?" Fox felt tiny compared to the giant 8 foot rhino that stood before him. His horn had to be the size of Fox's entire leg.  
  
"What's it to you?" Frost moved in closer, but Fox held his ground. Frost was impressed.  
  
"I'm looking for my friend, Peppy Hare, I am Fox Mcloud, former leader of the Star Fox team. Peppy was a fellow wing mate of mine, I'm here to recover him." Frost stroked his chin, his face looked as if he was trying to recall something.  
  
"Yes, I remember an old feller with a curious pendant much like yours." Frost pointed at the Star Fox pendant on Fox's vest. "He was Cornerian, so I had some of my people keep an eye on him. Last I heard he found himself a nice little hole to sleep in. I'd be surprised the poor guy made it this long here, with the rains and all. Try checking down by the Rackler Inn, seems thats where his home is."  
  
Fox examined Frost curiously. His face full of doubt, and surprise. Frost noticed his face and chuckled. He placed a heavy hand on Fox's shoulder.  
  
"Just because I run a hell-hole like this doesn't mean I have no respect for a good fighter! That bastard took out six of my best boys the second day here!" Frost chuckled. "Now get out of my bar before I have you shot. Don't come back either, or I'll have you shot." Frost's face went stern. Fox smiled and hauled ass out of there.  
  
A couple of pirates and the bull-dog came up behind him.  
  
"Give him five minutes to find his friend, then drop them into the gutter." The bull dog laughed and made his way out. "Oh and Tommy, make sure they're dead first..."  
  
The Rockler Inn was a sleazy building stuck between two other monstrous unknown buildings. The red neon sign that read "Rockler Inn" lit up most of the street around it. Fox came to an alleyway off to the side of the inn. It was dark, and water rushed down it into the sewer drains.  
  
"Peppy!?" Fox began to make his way down the alley. Small critters rushed from under garbage and made for their holes in the walls. "Peppy! Can you hear me?" Something moved a little ways down. Garbage tumbled out into the middle of the alley. Fox ran to the small hole in the side of the building. He could barely make out a dark figure inside a small room with no bed, lights or anything.  
  
"Peppy? Is that you?" Fox scrambled in the hole and stood up on the other side. The place leaked like a sieve, the dark lump of garbage bags moved, and Fox could just make out a long, grey ear. "Peppy!" Fox pulled off the garbage bags. The sight before him made him want to cry.  
  
Peppy Hare lay mangled on some rotten food and garbage bags he used for a bed. His eyes stared blankly at Fox, but they would not focus in on him. His ears were bent and torn. The old hare was skinnier than a toothpick, and had trouble breathing.  
  
"Oh god! Peppy, you poor old man! Let's get you outta here before we run into more trouble." Fox began to lift Peppy from his rotten bed and turned for the hole. Two figures stood in the way. One, Tommy the Bulldog, the other some ugly pirate from the bar.  
  
"He doesn't look good, do you want us to put him out of his misery?" Tommy pulled out a plasma rifle, cocked it, and moved towards Fox.  
  
"Stay back, you wouldn't want to get between me and my friend. Leave us be, I have who I came for, I will be leaving as soon as possible." Fox's grip tightened around Peppy. Peppy's limp body was still completely motionless.  
  
"Seems like Frost doesn't wish that to happen. He orders you dead, and your little friend." Tommy made for Peppy but Fox pulled away and kicked him in the stomach. Tommy keeled over and his pirate friend came in as backup. Tommy grabbed Fox's leg, stopping him from escaping. The pirate came in closer, there was a burst of light and the pirate was on the ground. Another, and Tommy's arm was blown in two, Fox fell back with the severed arm's hand still clutching his leg. Peppy's body rolled across the floor. Tommy let out a scream and another flash of light splattered his brains all over the floor.  
  
Another dark figure appeared at the hole. It leaned down to see his damage. Fox tore the arm from his leg and threw it across the room. He then clambered over to Peppy and felt for his pulse. The son of a bitch was still alive. Fox turned back to the fellow at the hole.  
  
"Fox Mcloud, come with me. The resistance needs you." 


	3. War

Chapter Two: War  
  
Peppy Hare was the oldest and probably wisest of the Star Fox team. He flew with James Mcloud when he was captured by Andross. Peppy was the only to escape and was the one to inform Fox Mcloud of his fathers fate. Peppy then flew with Fox Mcloud during the Lylat Wars, and served as advice. Though he really served as Fox's morale support because of all the stress on his shoulders from the war. Though he's retired as a pilot, Peppy stuck with the Star Fox team and has been a lot of help to Star Fox, in instances like Dinosaur Planet.  
  
Fox considered Peppy the closest friend of all the crew members. Which is why he has Peppy cradled in his arms as he follows this so called "Resistance Fighter" to where ever he's taking them. Fox had been on a search for Peppy ever since Grimclaw separated them a year ago. Fox was determined to let nothing happen to Peppy, and he doesn't care what this new ally had to say, Fox was going to get Peppy back to full health before he did anything for the Resistance.  
  
The mysterious spy, who turned out to be a nimble mouse, was leading them through the shadows of the streets, staying out of sight as much as possible. He made sure they went where Fox could carry Peppy, showing he really cared about Fox's presence. Fox didn't question him once all the way to the Resistance HQ.  
  
They arrived at a small brick building almost out of sight in a dark ally. No lights were on inside, and the rain poured out of the huge gutters on the roof. The small mouse led them down a dark staircase into the basement of the building. He stopped at a door at the bottom of the stairs. A small cheetah came out of the shadows, nearly startling Fox. Blaster in hand, he walked up to the mouse.  
  
"Password?" The cheetah mumbled. The mouse straightened up, and cleared his throat.  
  
"Friendly Fire." At these words, the cheetah stepped to the side and let the mouse, Fox, and Peppy through. They entered a pitch black room, Fox could only smell to try and figure out where he was. It had a damp smell, molding almost. He could hear the rain from outside beating at the walls of the old building.  
  
The mouse lit a small light and an area with a diameter of 10 was lit up. The room was riddled with wide support beams, or at least 10 feet of it was.  
  
"Hello, Fox." Fox's ears twitched, and his brain registered the familiar voice.  
  
"Falco?!" Falco stepped into the light. He wore a long white trench coat, his face was tired, his eyes full of pride.  
  
Falco was the hot headed pilot of the Star Fox team. He was very aggressive in the air, making him one of the best flyers on the team. He may have been a little insulting at times, but it was in good nature. Fox had been good friends with Falco, and they flew together during the Lylat Wars, but soon after they were over, Falco went lone-wolf and disappeared from the Star Fox team. He finally returned to defeat Andross the second time outside Dinosaur Planet. Seemed he just couldn't resist staying away from the team.  
  
"Let's get Peppy some food and a nice place to sleep. We move out in the morning, but at least we can get some strength back into his body." At Falco's words, the mouse came back over and took Peppy from Fox's arms. He then disappeared into the darkness. Fox turned to Falco, he wished to shake his hand, but Falco was in a hurry, and didn't show any signs of wanting to get reacquainted.  
  
"What's going on Falco? What are you doing here?"  
  
"We've been tracking you ever since you hit Titania. I am the leader of the Resistance, Fox."  
  
"How the-?"  
  
"I formed a small group on Katina. I ran into Bill Grey there, he gave us information on Grimclaw's plans. It wasn't too much later when the Resistance had spread to almost every planet in the Lylat System. Many wish to overthrow Grimclaw. But it seems futile, for much of our forces have fallen in the battle for Corneria."  
  
"What are you talking about? What has Grimclaw done?!"  
  
"He's created a monster, Fox. I've seen the labs. He has thousands. Grimclaw has found a way to enhance the abilities of a normal man and turn them into a mindless machine, capable of most anything. I've come across one of his subjects more than once. They're fast, accurate, strong, and trained to kill, nothing more."  
  
"How did he accomplish that?"  
  
"Vyros. The bastard is mining the stuff constantly. Many have been enslaved and sent to the mines of Venom. Women, children, anything able to run a machine or lift a rock. It's turning into a nightmare. Of course this is not all. But since we've lost communications with our base, we're totally at a loss to what could be happening now."  
  
"Dammit, how could I have missed all this? I was out searching for Peppy all this time, it must have been happening right before me, and I was too damn preoccupied to notice." Falco nodded.  
  
"Corneria is our last stronghold. If we lose it, we've lost our grip on the entire Lylat System. Battles have raged on for more than three months now. The Resistance is strong, but Grimclaw is relentless. Which is why I come to you now. We need your help. We knew only the legendary Fox Mcloud could possibly give us the foothold we need. We thought we were lost, but we realized his foolish mistake. He fears you Fox. People are slaughtered for mentioning your name, it must have been all the stories his uncle told him, because he'd rather destroy all of Corneria than deal with you."  
  
"What do we do?"  
  
"We declare war on Grimclaw. Reunite Star Fox and head for Corneria to join the battle against his army."  
  
"Then we do what we can from there."  
  
"Exactly. Once we establish at Corneria, we can home in on Grimclaw's activities. His biggest database is in Cornerian City, we're sure to get some valuable information there."  
  
"So, its war, Lylatians fighting Lylatians, millions will be lost."  
  
"Millions will be saved, Grimclaw's reign of terror will be stopped, and Star Fox is the one to do it."  
  
"Let's kick some ass."  
  
"Excellent." Falco smiled, his face lit up, he didn't look so tired any more. "Fox Mcloud, I would be honored if you let me join the Star Fox team once again to fight for the liberation of Lylat, and all that stand in our way." 


	4. Old Friends

Chapter Three: Old Friends  
  
"Fox? Is that you?" Fox leaned over Peppy's body so Peppy could see him clearly. Peppy smiles at the sight of his friendly face. "It is you! Where did you come from??" Fox laughed.  
  
"I've been looking all over for you Peppy. Finally found you in that hole of yours in Trillion. How'd you manage by the way?" Fox said, half joking.  
  
"Those pirates never saw me coming!" They both laughed.  
  
"Good to see you again Peppy, glad you're alright."  
  
"Thank you Fox, I'd be a dead hare if it weren't for you. You really are a great leader, your father would be proud." Fox's heart clenched. It had been so long since he'd thought about his father. The thought of making him proud brought warmth to this whole situation.  
  
"Peppy, we're at war. I need you. The Star Fox Team has been reunited, and you know you it wouldn't be complete without you by my side." Fox smiled. Peppy chuckled, but it hurt, so he tried to stop.  
  
"Oh, Fox, you know I wouldn't be much good. I'm so weak, and old, I'm surprised I made it this far." He coughed again. Fox had been in denial about Peppy's age for a long time. He was like a father to him, and you never want your parents to die, Fox couldn't stand the thought of it happening twice.  
  
"I'll need you in the air. You need to keep me in touch with whats going on. You can do it old man, I have faith in you!" Peppy laughed again, but this time it didn't hurt.  
  
"What about the others?" At this, Falco entered the room. He had been listening outside, his eyes were glassy. Falco may come off as a tough guy, but he was as soft as a kitten on the inside.  
  
"Hey you you old bag, get up and lets get this ship restocked before take off, we don't need you slacking around in here." Falco smiled.  
  
"Falco! Well I'll be! Good to see you, it's been a while, hasn't it?"  
  
"Oh c'mon! Your memory isn't that bad, is it? I remember it like yesterday!" Falco now started laughing.  
  
"So do I." Fox added. The room went quiet, uncomfortably quiet. It's time like this that Fox leaves all the talking to Falco.  
  
"Well, enough mushy stuff you two, we leave by dawn. It's best to get out of here before the pirates wake from their hangovers. I'll be at the starport if you need me. Nimble the mouse will be ready for any messages you have for me, I'll station him here while I'm gone. Remember to stay low, surprisingly enough, this place is infected with associates to Grimclaw." Fox and Peppy nodded. Falco turned to leave.  
  
"Good to have you back, Peppy."  
  
They lifted off as planned at dawn. They flew a small transport ship that Falco had picked up from Macbeth. Fox was able to load up his arwing in cargo. How he still has that arwing is a mystery no one is allowed to solve. Fox and Peppy had become more acquainted with the rest of Falco's crew. Nimble the mouse, of course. The cheetah was Tyn, and the one they hadn't seen before, Pellic, was a black crow that closely resembled Falco.  
  
They were in flight for about a week before they began to enter Cornerian airspace.  
  
"All we have to do now is hope that they didn't finish without us." Falco joked. A small signal was coming in from the radio, Nimble was already trying to decipher it.  
  
"It's from Corneria!" Nimble announced. He adjusted a couple of knobs, and it became a lot clearer.  
  
"We've been holding off this same spot for more than 6 days now, we don't know how much longer we can stay here. If anyone can hear this, we need direct assistance immediately! We're located at the square, Corneria City! Repeat! If anyone can hear this!"  
  
"I recognize that voice." Fox stepped up towards the radio. "That's Bill!"  
  
"He's in a lot of trouble, we need to get down there as soon as possible. I don't think we can land at the square, but I'm pretty sure we have a secure base near the edge of the city. Sources say it would take nearly three days to get to the square from there, due to heavy resistance." Falco informed. He was reading through some papers sent to him from Corneria.  
  
"That's not fast enough! We'll have to get there by some other means than foot..." 


End file.
